


Turn Around

by SophinaBlackwood



Series: Pride and the Prince [2]
Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Angst, Kayfabe Compliant, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-12-27 16:09:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12084549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophinaBlackwood/pseuds/SophinaBlackwood
Summary: Jack is insistent that he intervene with Cedric's match with Brian Kendrick, and Mustafa just can't understand why.





	Turn Around

It suddenly made so much sense.

It was why Jack had dragged Mustafa behind a curtain to smother a painful kiss against his lips before he went out to interrupt Kendrick and Alexander. Why Jack had held on tight- so tight that Mustafa wondered if he was worried that he might drift off into space if he let go.

And how funny was it that Mustafa had found it endearing and even humorous that Jack would be so bold?

“What’s wrong?” Mustafa had whispered, he hadn’t meant to sound frantic but Jack was never so brash, and certainly not during work. Jack wouldn’t offer a reply, he only squeezed his eyes shut and pressed their foreheads together, so hard that it was nearly painful. Mustafa’s heart skipped a beat lovingly. Somehow, in that moment, behind that curtain, it seemed like a declaration.

Oh, how Mustafa had been so stupid.

“You don’t have to go out there.” Mustafa kissed Jack’s cheek and wrapped him up in a tight embrace. Maybe then Jack would see there wasn’t any where else he would ever need to be. Mustafa could give him everything he wanted and more. Sweet, wonderful Jack. Mustafa would do anything just for Jack to be aware of just how much someone could love him. “Don’t worry about Kendrick.”

Jack squeezed Mustafa’s hand. “I have to,” he said plainly, voice low and odd. He stared at Mustafa resolutely. Mustafa smiled back tenderly. Then Jack swept out of the curtain, only to leave Mustafa massaging his temples.

“Don’t you go do anything stupid,” Mustafa sighed to himself.

It was barely ten minutes later that he was careening towards gorilla, pulse thundering in his ears. _No no no no no_ , chattered through his mind, blocking out everything else. He was sure people were yelling at him, that he was getting in the way but- _ah!_ There was Jack- Mustafa could see him! He was walking behind Kendrick, head down, coming his way..

Kendrick saw Mustafa first and immediately threw his hands up in the air like some sort of plea of innocence. He sidestepped a deathly glare. Mustafa’s closed fist tingled with temptation. Oh, how good it would feel to lodge his knuckles right into Kendrick’s face. _No_.. _no._ Getting into a fight with Kendrick would be a waste of time.

Mustafa swung around to see that Jack had strode right past him without a word, and was making his way towards the locker room.

 _Do not avoid me, damn you!_ Mustafa grit his teeth, breaking after him at a swift pace (while trying not to cause a scene around the WWE backstage staff). Last thing they needed was whisperings about their private lives between roadies.

“Jack,” Mustafa called out, trying to reach for him but the gentleman always seemed to be a step ahead. In a flash of his brown and red suit, he turned down a different hallway, apparently trying to escape.

“Jack!” Mustafa tried again, feeling an anger rising in the back of his throat, forced to break out into a run just to catch up. 

“JACK,” Mustafa roared, grabbing Jack by the back of his vest, and whipping him into the wall as Mustafa slammed his hands onto the brick to close him in. Jack’s eyes widened- terrified- for a fleeting moment. He was probably shocked to see that _he_ was the recipient of Mustafa’s rare anger. Jack’s hazel gaze quickly returned neutral, as it had been as he stared defiantly into the camera at the close of 205 Live.

Mustafa could not stop the same word repeating in his mind: _why?!_

It was like all the blood drained drained from Mustafa’s body as he watched on the locker room livefeed as Jack turned to thwack William III into Cedric’s back. It was so unlike the Jack he knew. It couldn’t be true. It was fake. A ruse. He was just elaborately plotting against Kendrick to double cross him later on!

“Jack, talk to me. Tell me what’s going on in that head of yours,” Mustafa’s voice broke embarrassingly as he cupped Jack’s cheeks, trying to transfer as much love and good energy to the gentleman as possible. Maybe then he would see that he wouldn’t have to turn his back on the light. _It’s not true. It’s not true. Save me from these awful thoughts, love._

Jack pushed Mustafa’s hands away.

“No, _no_ ,” Mustafa panicked, placing shaky hands against Jack’s neck. “No Jack, _please_. You can tell me, if.. if this is some kind of secret. I can keep a secret. We can go up against Kendrick together. I can back you up. _Please_ , Jack.” Mustafa was dully aware that he was probably overreacting; that Jack would reveal his master plan next week on 205 Live and Mustafa would look the fool. It wouldn’t matter, though- Mustafa would gladly look stupid as long as it meant Jack still had goodness in his heart.

Jack refused to look at Mustafa. Despite his seething eyes, he wouldn’t lash out at Mustafa. It was as if he were just waiting for him to give up and go away.

“Please say it’s not true. Just tell me it’s not true,” Mustafa begged, feeling numb as he leant against Jack, pressing his forehead to Jack’s cheek. Why wasn’t Jack reacting to him? Why wouldn’t Jack just nudge back against his body? “Just.. tell me it’s a cruel joke,” he whispered, “Love... please, say _something_.”

Mustafa felt Jack swallow. There was no other sounds but the chatter and banging of pack-up in the distance. It all felt so far away now...

“ _Jack_ …”

“Mister Ali.” He said his formal name, low and devoid of emotion. Jack raised his hands up, fingers frayed and wrists squeezed against his chest to not touch Mustafa. “If you’d kindly remove yourself from my person.”

Mustafa could feel his heart slowing, his whole body turning a frigid cold despite the human warmth of being so close to Jack. He could do nothing else but pray in that moment. Mustafa thought of his own life, his family, what he’d sacrificed to get here, what it had taken to make the audience believe in his good heart. Mustafa closed his eyes and took a step back, feeling Jack slide away from the wall.

“Thank you,” Jack mumbled. His fancy shoes clacked against the floor. Moving away.

Mustafa thought of Jack’s beautiful smile, and they way they would hold each other so close- sharing small victories- when no one else had been looking.

Was it really over? Over before it had even begun? Over before he could say-

“I love you,” Mustafa called out, opening his eyes. He felt immediately humiliated. Jack froze mid-step. _Turn around_ , Mustafa pleaded in his mind, praying Jack would just hear him. _Turn around, turn around, turn around.._

Jack’s back rose with a deep breath, then continued on, walking out of Mustafa’s life.

Only, he would see Jack next week, and the week after, and the week after that. Mustafa felt his knees go weak. It would be different now. Different. Different worse and he didn’t know if he could survive this again.

Disgraced and embarrassed, Mustafa had lost another loved one to the darkness.

“ _Don’t do this_ ,” Mustafa croaked out.

But Jack was gone.

**Author's Note:**

> This is fine. EVERYTHING IS FINE!!!!!!!!!!


End file.
